Deadline: 12-Mar-24
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for a project to improve civilian security in the North-Central and North-West geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
Women and youth have been particularly affected by the rise in violence. Attacks in the North-Central and North-West geopolitical zones, compounded by unprecedented flooding from 2022-23, have made it difficult for women and youth to find and maintain jobs, causing them to fall deeper into poverty and be more susceptible to recruitment by criminal gangs and other violent groups. Despite being disproportionately affected by the violence, women and youth are almost entirely excluded from conversations about causes of and solutions to conflict. Older men control the security apparatus of Nigeria and ethno-religious structures at the grassroots do not traditionally provide platforms for the voices of women and youth to be heard.
To respond to these challenges, DRL is seeking proposals to increase civilian security in Nigeria’s North-Central and North-West geopolitical zones by improving the participation of women and youth in civilian security initiatives. DRL’s goal is that civilian security is protected in high-risk local governments of the North-Central and North-West geopolitical zones States. In support of this goal, programs should work towards the following objectives:
- Objective 1: Women and youth are empowered to take a leading role in the security of their communities.
- When provided tools and avenues to participate, women and youth can be effective actors at the forefront of mitigating and preventing community-based violence. Previous programming to address intercommunal and ethno-religious tensions in Nigeria has demonstrated that women and youth are highly knowledgeable about the drivers of violence and have the skills to implement solutions that would make their communities safer. The main challenge preventing women and youth from exercising these capabilities, however, is the lack of opportunities and the systemization of their inclusion in platforms that address violence at the community, state, and national levels.
- Activities proposed under this objective should build from existing initiatives to empower women and youth to take an active role in addressing insecurity in the North-Central and North-West geopolitical zones. Applicants should demonstrate technical expertise and past experience implementing conflict mitigation programs that focus on systematizing the inclusion of women and youth in civilian security platforms. Activities proposed under this objective can include but are not limited to technical assistance to women and youth to conduct community dialogues and trauma-informed facilitation, providing psychosocial support to survivors, and acting as effective leaders in the fight for peace. Activities can also include direct support to community-based organizations to conduct advocacy, raising awareness about avenues for support, conducting intra- and inter-group dialogues, and establishing and maintaining partnerships with stakeholders who are crucial to preventing further violence in the North-Central and North-West geopolitical zones.
- Objective 2: Civilian security platforms are strengthened within communities affected by crime and/or violence.
- A number of community-based civilian security platforms exist in Nigeria to prevent and mitigate violence. However, due to limited resources and the ever-changing political dynamics in the country, the strength of these platforms fluctuates. For example, before the 2023 general elections, state peace committees in Benue and Kaduna led efforts to coordinate early warning and response networks across stakeholder groups. However, the leadership changes that resulted from the subnational elections forced some community-based peacebuilders to redefine their collaboration with the peace committees and even to convince new state government officials to invest in proven solutions to intercommunal violence. However, despite changes in political will between elections, community-based civilian security platforms have provided consistent avenues for citizens affected by conflict to seek and receive help.
- Applicants should leverage existing civilian security platforms in the North-Central and North-West geopolitical zones to implement activities under Objective 2. Activities can include but are not limited to strengthening community-based early warning and response structures, raising awareness about the structures and other platforms for preventing and mitigating violence, using traditional and modern forms of communication to shape public narratives, and providing support to survivors and alternatives to violence.
Funding Information
- Total Funding Ceiling: $1,250,000
- Total Funding Floor: $1,250,000
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 1
- Period of Performance: 16-24 months
- Anticipated Time to Award, Pending Availability of Funds: 3-6 months
Eligibility Criteria
- DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
- Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards.
For more information, visit DRL.